Lately, I’ve been thinking about this fellow – this drunken fellow, drunk as a skunk. He always sauntered into the sanctuary of the little church I attended as a kid when everyone was seated. And he always made a beeline for the front pews. With a little maneuvering, he always somehow squeezed in. Even in his drunken stupor, he sung. And boy, did he sing his heart out! And while everyone peered at the Sunday Missal, Mr Skunk happily chanted throughout the liturgy – verbatim. If ever the parish priest was taken ill and needed one (going by his skillful mastery of the order of mass), he certainly was the absolute substitute. This picture was summarily distorted when we got to the kneeling part; Mr Skunk was invariably never able to stand up again. We always left him in the sanctuary, his prostrate figure sprawled on the floor, dazed and completely overcome. His sin had found him out.

And so it is today. All the chest thumping, gloating and High School bravado. A deafening crescendo, like we haven’t heard for the better part of the past three decades, is crashing through our existence.

At the peril of elevating this sin more than the others, let me pronounce myself on this matter: There has been no new discovery to change what scripture says – homosexuality is a sin. So is idolatry, adultery, theft and the list goes on and on. This is informed by my belief in the infallible Word of God. And that is not to even talk about my Africanness.

In the face of all the petty annoyances, bullying threats and downright blackmail, how then shall we conduct ourselves? Is fighting back bare-knuckled the way of the cross? Does the love and grace of God have limits? Shall we continue to pontificate because, by another standard, someone is sinning differently from us? This is not just an “issue.” We are talking about people, real people. We are addressing human beings made in the image and likeness of God. For such as these (and us) He came. And died.

The law, by default, is not designed to extend grace. But you see, where the law ends, grace reigns. What the world needs to hear from us is not only brute opposition and witty rebuttals but the message of grace – God’s undeserved kindness. The Jesus I know took every opportunity to extend this grace. He would, today, mercifully reach out to the cowering man on the verge of being “outed” and re-assuredly tell him, “neither do I condemn you. Go, and sin no more.”

Shall we be like Jesus?

*John 8:11